Daytona 500 results and live updates: Massive wreck collects most of field in final 10 laps
Updated 4m ago
Follow along for the latest updates from Daytona International Speedway as NASCAR officially kicks off its 2024 Cup season.
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February 19, 2024 at 7:46 PM EST
(Photo: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
NASCAR[1]‘s Daytona 500 is running under dry skies after the official season opener was postponed a day due to rain[2].
The Athletic has you covered with the latest from the track on all the star sightings, weather updates and race chaos.
How to watch/listen: FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 200 laps / 500 miles
Stages: 65 / 130 / 200
Stage 1 winner: Chase Elliott[3]
Stage 2 winner: Ryan Blaney[4]
Required reading
There were 18 cars involved in the pileup, according to the Fox broadcast.
There were many big names involved, including Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Noah Gragson, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr. and Tyler Reddick.
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Hope for Hendrick?
Not sure exactly who is left, but the cars remaining seem to include Alex Bowman, William Byron and Chase Elliott. So it’s worth reminding you this is the 40th anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports’ first race, and Hendrick is going for a record-tying ninth Daytona 500.
The Big One
(Photo: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
You knew it was coming. The Big One finally struck at Daytona with nine laps to go, a crash that collected the majority of the field. It’s unclear which cars are undamaged during the red flag, but we know Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Austin Cindric, Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell are among those left. The wreck was triggered when Bowman gave Byron a big push, causing Byron to turn Brad Keselowski into Joey Logano.
Joey Logano leads as pit stops get underway. The leading Fords pit on Lap 20 after the Toyotas. The Chevrolets come in after.
Kevin Harvick reflects on his transition from racing to the Fox booth
(Photo: Adam Glanzman / Getty Images)
The last Daytona 500 to run without Kevin Harvick in the field came on a fateful February day in 2001. Seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. was killed on the final lap of that year’s race, and the following week, a 25-year-old Harvick — with no Cup Series experience at the time — was thrust into the spotlight as Earnhardt’s replacement at Richard Childress Racing.
That 2001 Daytona 500 was also notable for something else: It was the debut of Fox Sports’ NASCAR coverage, which Harvick is now joining after he concluded a 23-year Cup career last fall. Now 48, a NASCAR champion and a father of two, the future Hall of Famer will bring his sharp perspective and knowledge fresh out of the driver’s seat to Fox’s coverage. He’s sharing a booth with longtime play-by-play announcer Mike Joy and former driver Clint Bowyer, who spent several years as Harvick’s teammate.
Prior to his Cup broadcast debut at the Clash exhibition race earlier this month, Harvick sat down with The Athletic to discuss his approach to TV analysis, his comfort level with Fox and more.
GO FURTHER
Kevin Harvick reflects on his transition from racing to the Fox booth ahead of Daytona 500
The Rock weighs in on his Daytona 500 experience. It seems he’s a NASCAR fan.
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Denny Hamlin to the lead
Denny Hamlin makes a move on Corey LaJoie and takes the lead. This is the first time Hamlin — the three-time Daytona 500 winner who’s considered the betting favorite — has led today. There are under 50 laps to go.
Kyle Busch has also recovered after his team’s earlier mishap to contend in the top five.
Spicy three-wide racing with under 60 laps to go means they’ll only get more aggressive and the Big One will happen. This just doesn’t feel sustainable. But they all think they need track position now.
Trouble for Kyle Busch
Problem for Kyle Busch under caution! He’s slowing and there’s smoke pouring from the car!
Busch makes it to pit road with sparks coming from the left front. They didn’t get the wheel on.
Ryan Blaney completes Stage 2 win
Stage 2 ended without a wreck and with Ryan Blaney — NASCAR’s reigning champion — in the lead. There were a ton of shoves, but it was a clean finish.
Stage 2 finishing order:
- Ryan Blaney
- Austin Cindric
- Daniel Suárez
- Kyle Busch
- Tyler Reddick
- William Byron
- Bubba Wallace
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- AJ Allmendinger
- Chris Buescher
Todd Gilliland has now led more laps today than in his entire previous Cup Series career combined (72 starts). He had led a total of 11 career laps before this Daytona 500.
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Todd Gilliland spent a rainy Sunday visiting the Daytona infield campgrounds with Zane Smith. They asked on X, formerly known as Twitter, if anyone wanted to say hi, then went around the soggy infield in search of fans to offer giveaways and hellos. A day later, Gilliland is leading the Daytona 500.
Austin Dillon has returned to the race after repairs. He is 53 laps down.
Kyle Busch had a safety violation during pit stops, then came back and topped off.
Chase Elliott wins Stage 1 with help from Hendrick teammates
Chase Elliott, with a push from Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman, won Stage 1. Kyle Busch attempted to block William Byron, another Hendrick driver, and when he did, Elliott took advantage and passed Busch for the lead on the outside coming through the tri-oval starting the last lap.
Stage 1 finishing order:
- Chase Elliott
- Kyle Larson
- Ross Chastain
- Alex Bowman
- William Byron
- Kyle Busch
- Denny Hamlin
- Bubba Wallace
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Daniel Suárez
Michael McDowell dealing with apparent mechanical issue
Outside polesitter and 2021 Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell has an apparent mechanical problem, as he tells his team that he is losing about 100 rpm down the backstretch.
“We’re definingly in trouble here, guys,” McDowell told his Front Row Motorsports team.
Crew chief Travis Peterson acknowledged there is some kind of potential engine issue and told McDowell to ride around until the stage break that’s about 10 laps away.
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There are 14 laps to go in Stage 1. The current running order: Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace, Martin Truex Jr. and Noah Gragson.
Ryan Blaney gets lapped, along with Michael McDowell.
Will the group of Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski get lapped before the end of the stage? It sure looks that way. The pack is now only a quarter-track behind them.
Slow-tona 500?
Extreme fuel-saving throughout the field right now is making for some very strange racing. Typically, a car running by itself would be significantly slower than the pack — but AJ Allmendinger, a half-lap behind the pack, is running two seconds faster per lap despite having no help. As drivers continue to save fuel in an effort to help their chances for a stage win, it looks like the whole group is crawling around the track (at only 175 mph).
Doug Rice, a longtime broadcaster who is retiring after the 2024 PRN season, is calling the Daytona 500 on MRN.
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References
- ^ NASCAR (theathletic.com)
- ^ postponed a day due to rain (theathletic.com)
- ^ Chase Elliott (theathletic.com)
- ^ Ryan Blaney (theathletic.com)
- ^ Read the interview here. (theathletic.com)
- ^ GO FURTHER
Kevin Harvick reflects on his transition from racing to the Fox booth ahead of Daytona 500 (theathletic.com)